Freedom Seekers
by ac135
Summary: There is only one option for Mikan and her little brother Yoichi if they are to get away from their abusive parents - Run away! But it won't be easy thanks to their parents causing them to frightened of everything. Rated for violence. WARNING:CHILD ABUSE
1. Run!

**Hey everyone! Here's my new story, Freedom Seekers. I'm excited to write this, and I've got a lot planned for future chapters.**

**Well I can't say much except - enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Mikan flinched as she protected her younger brother with her body. Yoichi was only five years old, and if he got hit by one of those beer bottles then he might get permanently injured.

She could hear Persona coming closer to them - Thank goodness he was drunk, other wise he would find them immediately.

"I tol' you bra…zz to come out…."

Biting her lip so she wouldn't scream, Mikan flinched as shards of glass flew into her back, Persona having smashed a bottle on the table they were hiding under. Agonizing pain swept through her entire body and she felt her back becoming numb. That was never a good sign.

Persona chuckled cruelly, having found his terrified children. He lashed out with his foot, catching Yoichi in the stomach. The next one hit Mikan.

Yoichi huddled even smaller, hoping this nightmare would be over soon.

Maybe if he hadn't decided to sneak out today then this wouldn't have happened, but he couldn't even remember why they were getting punished anymore. It didn't matter anyways. All he knew was that Persona was mad… really mad. And if this didn't stop soon, he really would kill them. He had threatened to do that before - kill them. And now, Yoichi wasn't so sure if he was serious or not.

It had all started two days ago. Yoichi had been getting picked on by their father, Persona, because of his low grades in first grade. Not that it was his fault, being 'homeschooled' for his whole life. Really it was just an excuse not to send him to public school. He never actually did any school.

* * *

_"What do you think we're paying for? Play time? If you don't raise your grades, you're gonna get it later!"_

_Ruthlessly Persona kicked his son in his anger paying no attention to the fact that Yoichi was starting to lose consciousness._

_Mikan had heard their father from her room down the hall and, in her desperation, she ran out and snatched her brother from the floor._

_"Please… Will teach at home, so his grades will get better!"_

_Mikan started crying in her desperate pleading, hugging Yoichi, who was already unconscious._

Now appeased, Persona growled. "Fine. But he needs to learn a lesson - a painful one. Tell him he's not to leave his room for three days. No food, either!"

_Without another word he promptly left the house, slamming the door shut._

_Mikan didn't need to ask where he was going. Every time Persona was angry or upset, he went to visit the bar._

_Sobbing, she carried Yoichi to the room they shared, and when he woke up he was laying on the bed next to his sleeping sister._

That's how he happened to be stuck in his room that morning, and starving, he snuck out to get some food. Well, that was a huge mistake because at that exact moment Persona had decided to come home and saw Yoichi in the hallway.

Now both he and Mikan were getting punished - Yoichi for sneaking out, and Mikan for not telling Persona.

* * *

Persona's leering face dropped under the table, and he smirked when he saw the two pitiful children. Painfully grabbing their hair, he wrenched them out from under the table and Mikan ended up getting tossed against the wall. She felt her bones crunching in her right arm as she slumped to the ground, to exhausted to scream.

Yoichi crawled over to her, shaking her rather roughly.

"Nee-chan! Nee-chan! Wake up!"

Mikan didn't get up, and he glared at Persona who was staggering over to them.

He spat at Yoichi. "What's that look for? You don't know what true pain really is. I'm jus' teaching you how to grow up right! You should be grateful!"

Yoichi flinched, he had forgotten about how much control his father had over him. Instead of glaring, he just turned away.

Unfortunately, Persona didn't like that. Grabbing one of the many empty beer bottles littering the room, he threw it at the five year old. Yoichi failed to dodge it, and it hit him right in his left arm. Crying out in pain, he fell to the floor next to his sister. The last thing he saw was his mother walking through the door and screaming.

* * *

Yuka opened the door to find her children laying on the floor unconscious, soaked in blood.

"Persona! You made a mess again! Look at these stains, how am I supposed to get them out of the wood floor? And as for the kids, their supposed to be going to school! How are they going to get good grades if they're absent?"

The two argued back and forth, the the room smelling of blood and liquor. Neither parents were bothered that their children were half dead - they were worried about how much money they would lose. After all, the only reason they even had Mikan and Yoichi was to hopefully get a lawyer or a doctor in the family. But both had bad blood in their veins, and got easily upset. So wether the two children would live longer enough to become a doctor or a lawyer was questionable.

* * *

Once again Yoichi woke up on his bed next to Mikan, only this time she was awake.

"Can't walk…" She murmured.

Yoichi looked at her back. Glass was embedded deep in her skin, and she couldn't get it out on her own. He didn't even want to think about how difficult it had to have been to drag herself and him to their room, the glass penetrating even deeper with every step.

Suddenly he remembered his own wounds. He knew immediately after looking at his arm that it was useless. Mikan had done her best to wrap it up and remove the glass, but he couldn't even feel it much less move it.

The two of them together equaled nothing. They were utterly disposable, only placed in this world for someone else's pleasure. Well there was no reason to be here now. Their parents never appeared to get any pleasure from the two of them being there, and just looking at their son and daughter was sickening.

Mikan slid her shirt up and Yoichi started delicately picking out the shards of glass with his uninjured hand, his right arm hanging uselessly. As he did, Mikan told him something important, something she'd thought about for a long time. 13 minutes, to be exact.

"Have to escape…"

"Nee-chan…"

"They will kill.. uz.."

"Ok..ay…"

For someone to hear them speak, they would think it very odd, especially if either one tried speaking for a long length of time. But they weren't the ones to blame.

For their whole lives, the only ones to talk to were each other, and in Mikan's case only five years. They spent most of their days keeping silent so as not to be found by either parent. Also, when one of their parents was always drunk, it had an effect on their speech. They had learned to talk by listening to the people around them, which was basically Persona since Yuka was always gone.

Their words were slightly slurred, and both knew only a limited vocabulary.

Mikan had never been to school at all, only reading from books, but now that Yoichi was being sent to a public school, people were starting to get curious.

"Today..?"

"Yeah…"

Mikan grunted and stood up a little less painfully than before, pulling down her gray teeshirt. Her black shorts were definitely not in good condition, but they were the best she had - the only pair she had, now that she thought about it. Yoichi also had a pair of black shorts, and wore them along with his plain blue teeshirt. Their clothes weren't ideal for running away, but what else could they do?

Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside the door, and the sound of the lock was heard. The lock was on the outside, to keep the kids out of the way for whatever reasons.

"Mikan, I'm having a very important meeting today, so stay in your room for now. If you shut up for the rest of the day then I'll bring some lunch to you."

Mikan could tell that this meeting was important, because usually Yuka never gave them lunch. Breakfast and dinner if they were lucky, which wasn't often. Their parents weren't to thoughtful about nurturing their kids, and often times Mikan had to sneak into the kitchen at night and snatch whatever wouldn't be missed. So for Yuka to offer lunch, she must really not want this meeting to be screwed up.

"Alright…"

Suddenly Mikan was filled with terror. What was she thinking? She couldn't run away! In the heat of they moment when she was furious at Persona she had forgotten her fear, but now it was coming back at full force.

"Yoichi… They might kill…if they find uz…"

"But Nee-chan… They will kill us here too…"

"Don't know where… We.. can go…"

Yoichi looked up at her with big eyes. He realized Mikan was scared, just as scared as he was. Even though she was the one who suggested it, it was a lot scarier to actually do it. They had talked about it before, but never this seriously, if you can call it that.

Mikan was torn. It was obvious that Yoichi wanted to leave, but he was willing to stay if she wasn't ready to leave. Why was it so complicated? They were in a horrible place, and it should be easy to leave! But it wasn't.

Years ago, before Yoichi was born, she had been the sole target for abuse and had tried running away. That was the worst mistake of her life. As soon as she stepped out of the house she was surrounded by a whole new world. Strangers walked down the street, cars zoomed past, and she had no where to go. After fifteen horrendous minutes in that place, she was actually glad to see her father come storming towards her, oblivious to the stares and glances.

He dragged her back home and beat her till she was half dead.

But looking at her younger brothers bruised and scarred body made the decision easier.

"We will go…"

Yoichi gave her a rare smile.

Mikan looked around the room for things they might need. They didn't exactly have much of anything. The small room they had shared for five years was pitifully tiny, a little larger than a closet.

Honestly, sometimes Mikan wondered if they were really related to Persona and Yuka. They looked nothing alike, except that Mikan had the same light brown hair as Yuka. And from a certain angle, Yoichi had the same face as Persona. Guess that proves they were just horrible parents.

Snatching a backpack she shoved the few possessions they owned into it - their tooth brushes, a hair brush, under wear, an extra shirt for each, and the precious amount of money she had in a private place. As the years went by she had somehow managed to collect around one hundred dollars, and now was the only chance she had to use it. Also, she stuffed her diary in the bag.

Yoichi signaled for her to wait before running under the bed and with a bit of effort grabbing an old, worn teddy bear. Holding it close, he nodded to Mikan and she yanked open the old window. Dust flew everywhere - it hadn't been opened in years.

Sweating, she helped her younger brother climb through. After he landed safely on the grass of their back yard, she stepped onto the sill and glanced back at her room.

The only thing she would miss about this place was her room. It was where she had spent so many nights with her younger brother, and shared with him the special moments her parents never cared about. His first steps, his first words, and both of their birthdays. Every year she managed to grab a small treat for him, and together they prayed that the next year would be better.

Well it never worked.

She jumped out the window, and took a deep breath. There was no going back now - The only thing left for them was to run!

* * *

**How was it? To fast paced? To slow? I don't know!**

**Don't worry, my chapters are usually longer than this, but the story has to get going first. Oh, and if you haven't already read it, heck out my other story, Leap of Faith! :)**

**Drop a comment, whatever. Just be yourself! (if that makes sense...)**


	2. A Friend?

**Chapter two! How are you liking the story? Is it good? **

**Read the chapter!**

* * *

The two siblings had been running for what felt like hours, and could very well have been. The small dirt road they lived on had turned into a very busy street, with people everywhere! Terrified at the thought of someone seeing them, Mikan and Yoichi hid in the shadows or wherever there wasn't anyone around.

Yoichi flinched as a particularly shady looking man walked right past them.

"Mikan…I don't like…thiz."

Mikan shook her head. "Me neither. Too many people…"

They decided to spend the night in a dark alley behind some stores, but first Mikan dragged him into a dollar store. She had realized that Yoichi hadn't eaten in two-three days, now, and must be starving. So gripping his numb arm, she bravely walked into the store.

A big mistake. The bell rang as soon as she opened the door, as though warning the workers to get ready. But get ready for what?

The cashier smiled at them when they walked in, but Mikan had lost all her bravery and was trying to back out the door.

Yoichi had seen the food, though, and was stubbornly pulling her in, tugging her shirt in the direction he wanted to go. Now terrified, Mikan kept her head down as Yoichi pointed to some muffins.

"Nee-chan, theeze…"

The lady at the register was puzzled, listening to the two people slowly converse. Were they drunk? No, their movements weren't at all like someone drunk. But those voices… They sounded just like her Uncle after having too much beer.

"Excuse me miss, but may I ask where you're from? Your accent is very unique."

Mikan jumped in surprise. What accent? She didn't have an accent? Actually, that cashier did. She sounded like her mother, on the rare occasions that she spoke to them.

"I…Don'…have an accent…" She mumbled.

The lady, actually around Mikan's age who was 16, blushed.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-well…"

Mikan was confused. Why was she apologizing now? This place was so weird!

"We..want to…get this please." Yoichi carried over a package of muffins and Mikan placed them on the counter. The cashier took Mikan's money and handed her the bag.

"Here you are!"

Mikan nodded her thanks and left as quickly as she could. No need to stay longer then necessary at that weird place.

They took them back to their alley and shared a muffin, savoring the much needed food. Yoichi didn't need to know that Mikan had given him a much larger half.

* * *

That night they both were restless as they slept - their parents haunted them even in their dreams.

Because of this, Mikan woke up early the next morning and sat in silence watching Yoichi sleep. For the next hour Mikan sat in thought while Yoichi took a long nap. It had been too long since he had been able to sleep in as much as he wanted, and it was a precious luxury not to be taken lightly.

'_What are we going to do now?'_ Mikan wondered.

They had a small amount of money, no sense of direction, and nobody to help them.

Where would they go to get away from their no doubt furious parents?

There was only one thing she could think of - buy bus tickets to a random place and hope they didn't follow. She liked to think that since her and Yoichi were so worthless to their parents that they wouldn't try catching them, but she knew it was wishful thinking. They cleaned the house, they took care of what their parents neglected, and they were their hopes for the future. Of course they weren't going to let sixteen years of 'raising' children and paying for expenses just run away.

Gently she shook her brother, who groggily rubbed his eyes and rolled over. There was no reason to waste time here, they should use their head start to get well away from home.

Weary from all their running, they achingly stood up and searched for a bus station. They didn't have to look far - they were in the middle of the city, after all. Getting out her precious money, Mikan looked at the map and picked out the farthest city she could afford two tickets for. The city of Ama looked promising, so she picked there.

The bus captain didn't glance twice at them before checking their tickets and turning to the next person. Choosing a seat in the back where there was less people, Mikan sat down gratefully on the soft seats. Well, soft to her. Yoichi sat on her lap and promptly fell asleep, all the while holding tightly to her hand.

Mikan leaned her forehead against the cool glass and closed her eyes. She didn't want to see all the people as they walked around the city, or drove through the streets. She didn't want to watch as a girl called out to her friends who paused so she could catch up, nor did she want to watch as a mother walked along the sidewalk, pushing a stroller with a baby girl in it, as her two sons ran ahead and playfully fought with each other.

She didn't want to watch everybody's everyday lives, while she was here struggling to keep her little brother safe from their own parents. But then again, she didn't know what secrets these 'normal' people might have. Did that girl secretly smoke? Was that mother trying to raise her children on her own? It was too much to think about, so she started humming to herself.

It was a wordless tune, but it made Yoichi wake up. Tears fell from her eyes as she saw each scar she had come to memorize. That one under his eye was shaped like a square, those two on his wrist looked like the letter 'H', and the one in his heart could never be healed. That one she knew as well, because she shared it within her own heart.

Suddenly Yoichi reached up and brushed away a tear she didn't know was there. She realized that she had stopped humming, and started once more. This time, though, Yoichi joined in, his soft little voice singing a different melody, and yet they were the same. They had the same emotion, the same feeling. Freedom. They just wanted to be free.

After a few more naps, the bus captain called out.

"Arriving at destination within fifteen minutes - please gather your belongings now. Thank you."

Mikan blinked slowly. They were there already? She hadn't know how easy it was to travel from one city to the next.

When they arrived at the bus stop, Mikan waited till the last person was gone before leaving. She avoided looking at the bus driver and captain as she nodded her thanks, and led Yoichi down the stairs. His arm was still useless, he said he couldn't move it at all. Well at least it wasn't his leg - that would have been a lot worse.

* * *

As soon as she stepped off the bus, Mikan knew that this city was massive. It was much bigger than hers, and it was overwhelming. Despite the fact that it was 7:30, people were bustling around like it was noon!

A man saw her with Yoichi, a sixteen year old with a child, and asked if she needed help, but Mikan nearly screamed and quickly ran away. She was too scared to notice how handsome he was, with his blonde hair and blue eyes.

What kind of creep just asks a person if he could help them? That had to be the most indiscreet attempt ever at trying to kidnap someone, except maybe if you directly told them you were going to kidnap them. How stupid! And how terrifying. Yoichi was frightened as well, she noticed. He was starting to shake, and Mikan's heart was starting to beat irregularly. This wasn't good. Once again there were too many people, and this time someone had actually noticed them.

They searched for another good alley to spend the night in, but there was none to be found. How could there not be a single good old alley for homeless people? Desperate now, Mikan dragged the sleepy five year old to a public park, and both of them collapsed underneath a tree. This would have to do until they found a more permanent 'home'.

Not even able to say their prayers, they fell asleep underneath the stars.

A bird chirped right above Mikan's head, making her sit up rather sharply, resulting in a lot of pain from her previous injury on her back.

She let Yoichi sleep in again, only waking him when she saw a family walking down the cozy brick path on a nature walk.

They hurried to find a more private place, finally stopping at a small grove of trees in some woods in the park. It wasn't a large wood, but it was big enough to hide them if need be, and hopefully no little boys would want to go on an adventure in the 'dangerous forest.'

"Nee-chan. Food." Yoichi held out a grimy hand, causing Mikan to wince.

"Let'z go wash our hands, first…" She suggested, although after taking a second look she decided they might as well take a bath. Dirt and dried blood was evident in a lot of places, although thankfully the blood was too dark to separate from the dirt, so nobody would think they were creepy.

It didn't take them long to find the creek, and Mikan barely had time to yank off his shirt before Yoichi jumped into the water. Leaving her clothes on Mikan slowly stepped into the water, startled by the cold. Gradually she worked her way in until she was completely under, then swam around a bit to wash off all the dirt and blood.

Yoichi smirked as he snuck up behind his sister.

Mikan yelped as cold water splashed over her head.

"Yoichi! That'z not fair!" She yelled, a little quieter then most people.

Said boy quickly dove underwater when he saw his sister coming to get him. Chuckling to himself he swam underwater until he had reached the edge, but to his surprise she was right in front of him when he came up for air.

'Splash!'

Mikan laughed as her brother fell backwards into the water.

"You're all dirty…. Can find you…by trail of dirt…"

Yoichi blushed at his mistake, but quickly forgot when Mikan splashed him in the face.

"Hey!"

Mikan ran away, pretending to trip so that Yoichi could catch her. He dragged her back into the water and soon an all out splash war was started.

Hours later, the two laughing siblings lay on their backs, watching the clouds. Their clothes were starting to dry, and it felt so good to just enjoy the warm summer day. They had already eaten, and surprisingly enough they felt at peace.

"Nee-chan, I…haven't been outside in… a… long time…"

Mikan smiled. Yoichi often had a hard time saying single words like 'a', and 'the', unaware that she made the same mistake often. "Remember… I said I would..teach you…to speak…"

Yoichi nodded, forgetting his question. "How come..these people sound…diff..er..ent…than us?"

Mikan shrugged, closing her eyes. "I don't know. They're different, and weird."

Yoichi sighed. Nee-chan never really answered any of his serious questions. She would either shrug, or change the topic, or give him a roundabout answer.

He soon fell asleep. Thinking was too much work, and he wasn't used to having so much time to think. Usually he went through the day with one thought - survive. And now…

Mikan smiled to herself, watching Yoichi turn to his side and start softly snoring, in the way that little kids do. Why did he have to live his life like this? Why couldn't he live like other little kids? All she wanted now was for him to have a normal life, in a safe environment.

She leaned in closer. "I love..you."

Making sure they were safely hidden, Mikan turned to her side and fell asleep too.

* * *

The next day Mikan checked her backpack. They still had twenty seven dollars. Although, she would have to get some more food soon. They were down to three muffins, and they'd have to eat more then half a muffin a day each if they wanted to stay healthy.

"Yoichi, more food…" She said.

Yoichi looked up from where he was drawing pictures in the dirt.

"Now? I'm hungry."

Mikan smiled. He was always hungry.

They headed into the town, not having explored yet. Although, Mikan was just fine not exploring at all. They were safer that way.

After a horrible half hour of frantically avoiding everyone, Mikan finally caught sight of a small general store and made her way towards it. It was larger than the dollar store back at her old city, but she felt a little brave and decided to go in. Yoichi gripped Mikan's hand a little tighter. He was proud that she would do this for him, although he supposed she needed the food as well.

This time the door didn't have a bell, and Mikan let out a sigh of relief.

She walked in a little more firm, instead of hiding behind the shelves.

The cashier didn't even look up at her, although she recognized him immediately. She stood there shaking with fear. That blonde hair, those blue eyes - he was definitely the one who had tried kidnapping her and Yoichi!

Yoichi, wondering why Mikan was so scared, followed her gaze and froze as well. That man! He had tried hurting Nee-chan!

The man finally noticed them, and soon noticed that the two customers who had just walked in were frozen in the middle of the store. Worried, he walked out from behind the counter and came over to them.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, concerned. But he recognized Mikan as soon as she looked at him.

"Oh, it's you!" he exclaimed in surprise.

Mikan slowly backed away, keeping Yoichi behind her.

Confused, the man took another set towards them. The store was empty anyways, so nobody would stare.

"What's wrong? I'm not going to hurt you!"

Mikan almost believed him, but a glance from Yoichi changed her mind. Yoichi was frightened, and she wasn't going t put him in any danger if she could help it.

"Stay…away…" She mumbled.

Ruka frowned. What did she say? 'Day break?' That's all he could make out.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. What did you say?"

Mikan shook her head. She couldn't think clearly in this situation. He was speaking so politely, unlike Persona who would just beat you up and laugh at you. Was he really a bad person?

"Are…you…bad..person?"

Ruka nearly laughed, but figured it wouldn't help the situation. Had he heard her correctly? Did she just ask if he was a bad person? Well, his mother might think so, but certainly not anything extreme.

"If you just asked wether I'm a bad person, I'm not! I already said, I'm not gong to hurt you. What did I do to make you ask that?"

Mikan was terribly confused. Yoichi looked up at her for help, clearly not knowing what to think either.

"Earli..er.. you asked to help…uz. That wasz..bad…" She mumbled, trying to make sense of what he said.

Likewise, Ruka was trying to make sense of what Mikan said. He caught that last part, but he was clueless as to what the first part was.

Yoichi spoke up now, surprising Mikan. "You talk funny!"

Shocked, Ruka blinked at the boy. He had understood enough to know what Yoichi had said.

"Umm, sorry? Why do I talk funny?"

Yoichi shrugged, scared in case the man got mad at him. Instead of hitting him though, Ruka knelt down and smiled at the nervous five year old.

"Well, some people do talk different from others, but it happens all over the world. Actually you guys sound different to me too."

Mikan smiled at this. After his gentle words, even she could tell that he meant no harm.

"You're not…bad…" She commented, in what she thought was a normal voice.

As usual Ruka had difficulty translating, but he got the idea.

"Thanks, I try!" He flashed a grin at her, and Mikan tentatively smiled back. So there really was someone who wasn't evil.

"Sorry we got off to a bad start, but let's restart. My name's Ruka!" He said, although he wasn't sure how they had gotten off to a bad start in the first place.

Mikan blinked. "I'm.. Mikan…"

"And who's this little guy?" He asked, patting Yoichi on the head.

Yoichi immediately backed away, and Mikan stood in front of him defensively. "Don't touch him!"

For once Ruka understood her perfectly. Even if she hadn't said every word perfectly, he could read her body language.

"I'm sorry! I don't mean to startle him!"

Mikan gulped. She was sure he hadn't meant to do that, but it was just so hard! Every time 'Ruka' said something, or moved, she saw Persona leering at them.

"Sorry… Just don't…Don't…touch him…"

Ruka nodded. He didn't want to give them the wrong idea or anything.

"So, did you want to get something from here?" He asked.

Mikan nodded. She had completely forgotten about getting the food in her shock at seeing the alleged kidnapper here.

"Yeah… Food…"

Ruka nodded awkwardly. She sure did have an odd way of speaking.

Mikan abruptly walked away and dragged Yoichi over to the food aisle, searching for some more muffins. She grabbed two cartons of those, and then added some granola bars to the pile, thinking they'd be good for traveling.

Ruka scanned the items, but after thinking twice he handed Mikan her money back.

"Actaully, I think I'll pay for these. Call it repayment for causing you to be worried earlier." He said, grinning.

Mikan stared at him. Was it safe? Was he trying to trick her? She decided he wasn't, and gratefully placed her money back in her bag. She was secretly relieved, since their money was already almost depleted.

Before leaving, she turned to look at Ruka, who was waving goodbye.

"Th..Thankz.."

Ruka grinned and called back. "You're welcome! Come back anytime!"

* * *

Yoichi tugged impatiently on Mikan's shirt, getting impatient. Sighing, she pulled out one of the muffins they already had and handed it to him. He would probably eat the whole thing, but he deserved it.

Right now, she was to busy to pay much attention anyways. Had she just made a friend? It was a new experience for her, but she decided she liked it. Ruka was nice, and he didn't seem at all like a bad person now that she had met him. He really was just asking her if she needed help earlier. Now she felt bad for acting so scared, but who could blame her? She never learned how to trust anyone, from an early age she was taught that she was only there for one reason - get her parents money.

But never again. She swore to herself that she would never go back, and she would protect Yoichi with her life so that he would never have to either.

And now, it looked like they just might have some help from another person. Ruka…

* * *

**What'd you think?**

**Reviews: Guest - I'm definitely making this a NatumexMikan fanfic!**

** AllyD - It would be cool if Narumi was their dad, but unfortunately that wouldn't work with the story. Thanks for the comment :)**

**Kay, that's all. Review!**

**Bye bye**


	3. Cookies

**Okay, I'm back. Sorry if this chapter isn't very long, but I'm trying to figure out the right style of writing for this story. Since nothing much is happening, it seems as though the chapters are going to fast or just being dragged out, so right now I'm just experimenting. I'm gonna need to get down to the good parts soon :)**

* * *

Yoichi grinned, proud that he had woken up earlier than his sister, who was peacefully sleeping in their makeshift home in the park.

Sneaking away, he blinked in the early sunlight. It was so bright! He hadn't realized how little sunlight they got back home, and he decided he didn't like it. They never really went outside at the house, their parents being too worried that they would run away.

"Oh, hello!"

Yoichi jumped in surprise at the sudden voice. A lady was standing behind him, with a surprised look on her face. Trying to sneak away, Yoichi turned around, ready to run back to Mikan. But before he could take a step, she hurried over to him.

"Are you lost, my child?" She was about to touch him comfortingly when a hand pushed hers away, non too gently.

Mikan stood in front of Yoichi, staring at the lady with cold eyes.

"Get away!"

The lady shrieked. She didn't know what this girl had said, but she looked dangerous! The poor thing scurried out of the park in a hurry. A minute later she ran back in, grabbed her kids and ran out again.

Mikan fell to the ground in relief.

"Yoichi, did she hurt…you?"

Yoichi shook his head, trembling with fear.

Smiling, she pulled him into a hug. "Don't ..wo..rry.. me like that!"

After a few sweet moments Yoichi pulled away. He pointed to his tummy, demanding food.

Mikan went back to their hideaway and grabbed a muffin for him. She had eaten the day before, and wasn't really hungry.

As Yoichi ate his muffin happily, she pondered the last few days.

It had been a week since they met Ruka, and now there was no doubt that he was a perfectly nice person. Every other day they went to visit him, and in return he bought them more food. Now they had enough to last for a long time, so Mikan didn't have to worry about that for now.

Although, she still didn't know why he was helping them. She never once had mentioned anything about their situation, but he still insisted that he pay for their food for some reason.

Today they were supposed to go visit him again, but Mikan was a little unsure about it now. The incident with the strange lady had taken all the courage out of Mikan to even stand in front of her little brother.

She was still terrified of everything and everyone, but she was starting to realize that life in the outside world was different from life back home. People were different, and rules were different. Even the speech was different!

Sighing, she turned to look at Yoichi.

"You want..to..visit Ruka?"

Yoichi looked up and nodded. He was slowly starting to enjoy their trips to see this guy, and he found that it took away the boredom.

"Alright. Let's go, then."

They immediately set off, much less timidly then their first day. Now they didn't bother hiding in the shadows, although Yoichi clung to Mikan like a leech.

She had to hold tight to his arm, because otherwise he would lose his balance. She was seriously upset that it was still completely numb, even though she had retrieved all the glass and bandaged it up. Had one of his veins been stopped? Wouldn't that kill him, though? She wanted to get professional help but right now that was impossible.

Ruka smiled as they walked in to the store. 'For a moment I thought you weren't coming."

Walking over to the counter, Mikan gave him a rare smile.

"Woman.. was trying..to..hurt Yoichi…"

Ruka nodded in understanding. "Well, it looks like he's alright. What did she do?"

"Tried tou…ching.. him!" Mikan mumbled.

They conversed for a few more minutes, and Ruka tried explaining to Mikan that the lady was only asking if Yoichi was lost.

A man walked up to the counter and blinked in confusion at the odd conversation the two were having. The girl was making a bunch of weird noises, while the boy was saying a bunch of random things.

"Um, excuse me, but I'd like to buy these…" He placed his items on the counter.

Mikan quickly moved out of the way, and Ruka blushed as he took the man's money.

"Er…I'm sorry."

The man shrugged. "Nah, it's no problem. But if you don't mind me asking, how can you understand this girl? Never before have I heard something so…interesting, I should say."

Ruka shrugged. "I guess I just got used to it. I'm not sure what her accent is either, so why don't you ask her yourself?"

The man turned to Mikan, who shied away from his stare.

"Can you tell me what accent that is, or dialect?"

Ruka nodded encouragingly, also curious as to what she would say.

"I don't have..an accent. You sound weird, though.."

The man looked to Ruka for a translation.

"She says she doesn't have an accent, but we sound weird."

Giving up, the man walked out of the store with his things. Calling over his shoulder, he shouted. "Girl, if you don't realize that you have a problem then you must be crazy!"

Mikan started trembling, startled by the loud voice. Why was he shouting? Persona would always shout at them as he beat them, and Yuka was always shouting as well. Did he want to hurt them?

She was comforted by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Ruka smiling at her. "Don't worry, you're not crazy. That man was just confused, he wasn't trying to be mean or anything."

Mikan relaxed. So he was just confused? Although she still didn't understand why he had to yell.

"Do you really not notice your accent?"

Shaking her head, Mikan looked away. "People..keep say..ing..we both do…"

Ruka nodded. "I guess you don't really realize it, but for some reason your voice sounds very…different. I want to say drunk, but you're clearly not drunk."

Mikan stiffened when he mentioned the word 'drunk'. What did he mean by that?

"So, are you sure you only live a short way from here? You're not originally from another country or something?"

Mikan shook her head. They definitely lived close to here, although she hadn't told him they had come from another city.

"Well, maybe this is something you should see a doctor or something about. Don't your parents notice, or do they sound like this too?" Ruka questioned.

Mikan hesitated before answering. "I don't know."

.

Ruka was perplexed. Never before had he come across a situation like this before.

Both Mikan and her younger brother had strange voices, and their behavior was questionable. Always thinking everyone wanted to hurt them, flinching at sudden noises - they definitely didn't lead normal lives.

But what could be the cause of their weird voices? He had already determined that they weren't accents, so what could it be? There was only one person he could ask.

"Oh yeah, Mikan, are you going to get something to eat?" Ruka asked her, trying to divert her attention from her voice, since it seemed to be causing her distress.

"Yeah, I can pay for it.. though.." Mikan mumbled, determined not to rely in anyone else from now on.

But Ruka, fortunately, was aware that Mikan didn't have a whole lot of money, and stoutly refused.

"No way! I've still gotta make it up to you for all the confusion! Besides, I love being able to give that little guy a snack for free." He pointed to Yoichi, who was currently staring wide-eyed at some magazines.

Mikan absent-mindedly turned Yoichi away from the magazines.

"You…don't have to pay..us back…" She was bad at speaking, but she wasn't stupid. Ignorant, but not stupid. She knew perfectly well that there was another reason for Ruka buying their food, and it wasn't because he wanted to pay them back for the trouble he had accidentally caused earlier.

Ruka waved her protests away and pointed to the shelves.

"Forget it, I'm paying for you. Go grab some snacks and hurry back before I pick them out for you!" Grinning good-naturedly he shoved her towards the food.

Sighing in defeat, Mikan once again went through the food shelves. She couldn't keep taking away from Ruka's pay check, it just wasn't right. He was already helping them by being their friend, and it just made it worse to know that they were relying on someone else's help to survive.

Yoichi dragged her over to the snack shelves, staring intently at a bag of cookies. They were chocolate chip, and Mikan reluctantly admitted that they looked delicious. They had tasted them before a long time ago, having found a few in a top cupboard while their parents were away.

"Nee-chan…" He muttered hopefully.

Mikan let out a sigh. "Fine, one bag…" Yanking it off the rack she added it to the pile. She hated making Ruka pay for things they didn't need, but she couldn't say no to her little brother.

Ruka smiled to himself, knowing just how much Mikan loved her little brother. He knew she didn't want him to pay for the food, and yet she still grabbed the cookies for Yoichi. He didn't mind at all, in fact he thought it was the sweetest thing that the girl would lower her pride to make her younger brother happy.

He gladly payed for their food and handed it back, placing it in a bag.

Mikan took the bag gratefully. "Thank..you.."

"Nah, it was nothing. Come back soon!"

He waved cheerfully to them as they exited the store, then turned to deal with his other customers.

* * *

As soon as they reached their little cove, Mikan was attacked by Yoichi. He jumped on her back, trying to reach the cookies in her bag.

Mikan dumped him off long enough to quickly grab the cookies before he attacked her again. She ripped open the bag and handed him one of those delicious chocolate chip cookies.

Yoichi was so happy that he ran to give his older sister a big hug, which was absolutely not something he did frequently. After pulling away, he stuffed the entire cookie in his mouth, munching loudly. It was amazing!

Seeing the joy on his face Mikan handed him another cookie which he took with no hesitation. But this time, he broke it in half and handed one of the halves back to Mikan.

"Here, Nee-chan…"

The two shared the rest of the cookies, just relaxing the rest of the day and munching away. For once, they were beginning to understand what it meant to just be lazy. There was nothing to do, so they just napped and played little hand games.

* * *

After Yoichi had fallen asleep with the sun Mikan crawled out their little hiding place and, not really knowing why, walked over to the little spring that was nearby.

The moon was bouncing off of the water, creating a beautiful painting as it contrasted sharply with the dark night.

However, Mikan was oblivious to the beauty as she stared at her reflection in the water. She could see the scars that lined her face, arms, and legs.  
Bruises still littered her body, and she pulled her sleeves a little further down her arms to try covering them up. It didn't work.

Sighing, she stood up. All she really wanted right now was to be normal. She wasn't dumb, she knew that both her and Yoichi were different from the people around here. She wanted to talk like them, look like them - act like them! But she couldn't. Her mind was to afraid of them, and Mikan herself was still wary, despite the fact that nobody had actually tried hurting them yet, as explained by Ruka.

'_Do we really sound different then everyone else? Maybe that's why everyone sounds so different, like Mom when she's yelling. But why don't we sound like that?'_

There was nothing she could do about it, though. She just didn't understand how she and Yoichi sounded so weird, when they sounded normal to her.

_I don't know why we are the way we are, but there's no doubt that it's thanks to our parents. I want to call you two horrible, or evil, but I don't truly feel that way. Deep down, you're just weak. Weak for giving in to your greed and anger.'_

* * *

**How was it? I told you before, there's not a whole lot that I can write about right now, so please be patient!**

**K-chan'skisses: I don't know what one sounds like exactly either, lol. But yeah, in reality it is a speech impediment. I can't really explain how I picture them sounding very well, so leave it to your imagination. Thanks!**

**See you later!**


	4. Friend or Foe

**Hello everyone! I'm so so so sorry it's been so long, but if you read my other story 'Leap of Faith' then you already know why I was late. Anyways, heres the next chapter, and I'm proud to say that this story will finally start moving along from here on out. :)**

* * *

'_Hotaru Imai, state your business.'_

Ruka sighed at the cold voice on the other line.

"Hotaru, it's Ruka. Listen, can we talk somewhere in person? It's a private matter, and a little awkward to talk about over the phone."

'…_Cafe down the street, 9:00 tomorrow. Don't be late.'_

Smiling, Ruka hung up as well. He knew he could count on Hotaru.

* * *

Mikan gulped. This whole 'go with the crowd' thing wasn't working like Ruka said it would. It just made her even more nervous. Yesterday he had suggested they try getting over their fear of other people by walking out in the open, and acting normal. Well they were doing that right now, and it was _definitely _not helping at all!

"Yoichi, don't walk in the street." she called, yanking the boy out of the path of cars.

Yoichi grumbled, but walked back to the sidewalk. "Want to ride in a..car.." he muttered, stalking next to his sister.  
Rolling her eyes, Mikan ignored him. Lately Yoichi had been hooked on riding in a car, even though she had explained multiple times that they couldn't.  
Instead, she tried distracting him by pointing out the different cars, although he couldn't actually ride in them. There were big ones, small ones, red ones, blue ones - there were so many!

Pretty soon Yoichi was enjoying himself by naming out loud all the different colored cars. Mikan smiled as she heard the child muttering;

"Red…Green…Black…Red…White… White…Blue…"

"Yoichi…What do you want to do?" asked Mikan after a while.

Shrugging, Yoichi absent-mindedly continued his mumbling.

"I think we need to get more money…"

Her brother looked up at this. "Money?"

"Yeah… We can't keep living like this…" Mikan replied.

She realized that Yoichi wasn't fully aware what money was since they had never really needed it before, but he should probably learn now. Who knew what would happen later, and he might need to know.

"A job. I need a job…" she said, more to herself than Yoichi. He didn't reply anyways, so she didn't say anything else. As they continued walking along their aimless path, Mikan looked around for a job. How does one get a job?

Suddenly Mikan got jerked to the side as a car swerved right in front of her. Frightened, she looked to her savior. A young man was gripping her shirt, staring at her with a stoic expression. He had raven hair, and startling red eyes.

But Mikan had other things on her mind then how handsome he was. "Yoichi…" she mumbled frantically.

Looking around, she saw her little brother standing a few feet behind her, hiding from the stranger. They were standing right at the edge of the road, only inches away from the line of cars zooming past.

The man let go of her shirt. "Hey, pay attention where you're walking, moron. If I hadn't been there, then that car would've crushed you."

Mikan looked away. This guy was talking to her, but what did she say to that? "Thank you…"

Having bravely said that, she dragged her little brother away, leaving the man to stare after them.

* * *

Mikan hurriedly dashed home, pulling Yoichi along with her. Today was to much of an adventure for her likes. If it wasn't for that rude stranger they would be dead. Clearly, she shouldn't be thinking about anything but their safety when they were outside, so she'd just have to stay at the park while thinking about a job.

Once they were back home she allowed Yoichi to go swimming, while she sat a few feet away and tried to figure out what to do. Maybe she could ask Ruka when they went to visit him tomorrow. How did he get his job? Did he just go ask the people in charge? She wasn't stupid, she knew that people had ads for when they wanted help. The problem, though, was finding them. Also, she wasn't exactly on friendly terms with other people.

She was dragged out of her thoughts when a splash of water drenched her head. Letting out a gasp, she turned to see Yoichi covering a giggle with his hand. Putting on a fierce expression, she joined her brother in the water and started splashing him.

The sun shone brightly on the two laughing children, as they enjoyed the beautiful summer air, communicating in a personal language.

Gasping, Mikan laughed and shook herself to dry her clothes. Lately she was getting really dirty, and she decided that they should take regular 'baths' from now on.

For dinner they split some apples and cheese, neither of them bothering to eat around the core and seeds.

That night, Mikan cuddled up with her brother, in their cozy little cave. Yoichi was already asleep, and she stroked his hair. He shivered in the cold, and she held him closer.

Did he deserve this life? No. But as unfair as it seemed, she just prayed that there was a reason for all of this. God has a plan for everyone, so maybe, just maybe, all this was supposed to happen.

But as much as she wanted to believe that, she just couldn't understand how all their pain and suffering was meant to be.

* * *

Ruka took a deep breath. He pushed open the door. He stepped into the cafe. He looked around. He saw her… He stepped back out of the cafe. He face palmed his forehead. He walked back into the cafe.

"Hey…Hotaru…" said girl turned to look at him with a stoic expression. No matter how many times he talked to her, it just never got any easier.

A young woman was sitting at a table. She was sitting there with a bored look, her purple eyes staring judgingly into Ruka's own blue eyes.

"Sit."

Ruka sat.

"Talk."

Ruka talked. He told his apparent friend all about the past few weeks. How a girl had showed up with her little brother, clearly homeless, and hungry.

"And the most interesting part is their way of speaking. I can't really describe it exactly, but you could imagine it as a drunk person. Actually, it makes me think of a type of speech impediment, possibly. Anyways, I need your help." he finished.

The ever calm Hotaru just pulled out her phone. "Speech impediment. Chances are they were raised by a drunkard, learning how to talk like that by copying their parents. But I can't say for sure until I hear them speak."

Ruka thought about this for a moment. "If their parents were drunkards, then that just might explain their behavior. Always glancing behind their shoulders, her younger brother practically glued to her side. Hmm… what do you think. Child abuse?"

Hotaru shrugged. "It's definitely a possibility, although God forbid it's the case."

The two of them discussed other explanations, until Ruka suddenly sprang out of his seat. "Crud, I'm late for my shift!"

Before he could leave, a hand blocked his way. Sighing, he stuffed a few bills into it. The hand receded back to it's owner.

* * *

Dashing out of the store, he thought about what Hotaru had said. He already knew that the two children were homeless, it was painstakingly obvious. But should he be prying into their personal business? Well, maybe he should. If it was child abuse, that was a serious offense and the culprits would have to be reported. But was that the case? Oh gosh, he hoped not.

Once he reached the store, he immediately froze. Mikan was standing defiantly in front of her younger brother, who was trying to get around her.

A man was standing in front of her, with a stoic face. They were apparently arguing, both of them were yelling at one another.

"Natsume!"

The man with raven hair turned to Ruka, who was hurrying to get between the two. Mikan was glaring at Natsume, and likewise he was glaring at her.

Mikan glanced at Ruka. "You know him?"

Ruka nodded. "Yes, I do. Now will someone explain what's going on please?"

Letting out a growl, Natsume turned away. "Don't ask me! I've got no idea what her problem is. All I did was say something about how she was young to have a kid. After that she started mumbling and muttering."

Ruka rubbed his forehead. "Are you kidding me? You said something like that to a stranger?"

Natsume raised an eyebrow. "Chill, I was only kidding. Why are you two getting so worked up?"

Now Mikan stepped forward, speaking to Ruka. "He said… I was shame…full…"

Trying not to groan, Ruka walked over to Natsume and pulled the irate man close. "That was a stupid move, Natsume. That's her little brother, and she's extremely protective of him. How could you just assume something like that? Why do you doing this!"

Natsume looked a little taken aback by his words. He looked away, then thought twice about it and looked up at Mikan, who was backing out the door.

"Listen…I'm sorry about that, I wrongly assumed that you were some teenage mom. And I didn't mean what I said, it was just a joke." he muttered hurriedly. "Sort of…" he added a little guiltily.

Mikan hesitantly stepped back into the room, allowing Yoichi to come out from behind her. She spoke a bit to Ruka, then turned to Natsume.

"That…is okay…"

Natsume frowned. There she went again. It was like she was trying to talk to him.

"Uh, Ruka…?"

Ruka sighed. Did he really have to explain this all over again?

"She says it's okay, but say it again and she'll pummel you with a brick."

Mikan and Natsume sweat dropped.

Ruka grinned and walked over to the cash register. "Sorry, no time to chat, I'm already late for work thanks to you two! You guys hang out for a bit, I'll be done at 2:00."

Startled, Mikan and Natsume glanced at each other. Hang out together? They wanted to kill each other! What was that supposed to mean?  
Natsume gave a low sigh, and started walking out the building. "I don't like this, but I kind of owe you one. Come on, I'll treat you to lunch. You're brother, too."

Yoichi tugged on Mikan's shirt and nodded. Mikan looked down at him and, after discussing it for a few seconds, decided that they would go with him.

Ruka waved goodbye, and all three headed out.

It was awkwardly silent as they walked who knows where, even more so for Natsume. The girl, he didn't even know her name, was walking a few feet behind him, and refusing to talk at all. He had tried starting a conversation a few times, but she just ignored him. What was that about? His previous comment hadn't even been _that_ bad.

"Hey, is something bugging you? We're strangers, remember? I don't know you well enough to guess what you're thinking."

Mikan jumped in surprise at this question. "Uh…no."

'Crap, I forgot that I can't understand her, for whatever reason.' Natsume thought. "Forget it, I don't know what you're saying."

Sighing in defeat, the two continued walking in silence.

Mikan stared at this 'Natsume's' back. How was she supposed to communicate with him, if he couldn't understand her? And why was he even doing this in the first place? Apparently he was friends with Ruka so she knew she could trust him if Ruka did, but she still didn't like him. He had been so quick to judge, and that wasn't good. She remembered how he had given her a loathsome look as he walked past her in the store, just minutes ago, and called her a shameful slut. What the heck!

Her train of thoughts was broken when Natsume abruptly stopped in front of a small restaurant. "We're here."

They entered the building, Natsume holding the door open for Mikan. She nodded her thanks, and walked in.

Once they were inside, Natsume led her to a vacant table, where they sat down. He handed her a menu, which she took a little stiffly.

"Pick whatever you want, for the little guy too." he told her.

Mikan tentatively opened the menu, looking up at the man in front of her every once in a while, as though to check that it was okay. Natsume sighed after the fifth time. "What's your deal? I told you to pick something, and I meant it. Didn't I say I'm sorry? This is an apology."

Mikan grinned. So it really _was _okay! Suddenly a small hand yanked on her hair. "Yoichi…What do you want…?"

"Hamburger…"

"You need healthy food…too."

Natsume smiled. On the inside. It was so weird to see such love between two siblings. He felt a sudden urge to laugh, but instead, he opened his own menu and skimmed through the items. After a few minutes, he was interrupted when a hand poked him. The little kid with silver hair was poking his side. Looking down, he raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"We…have food…"

Natsume sighed. "You know, I still can't understand you."

Mikan frowned. Picking up the menu, she pointed to a meal of tuna fish sandwiches. With much struggling, she slowly formed a word. "T..Two…"

Catching the drift, Natsume nodded. "Two of those? Alright."

When the waitress came over, he ordered their food, and his too. They waited in silence for a few minutes, until their food came. Mikan gave Yoichi one of the sandwiches, which he ate with much joy.

As they ate their food in silence, Natsume discreetly glanced at the girl in front of him. So, she knew Ruka. How come his best friend hadn't ever mentioned her to him? They had known each other since like preschool! He froze when the girl looked up and stared at him. What was her problem? Oh yeah, he was doing the same thing…

"Hey, can I ask you something?" he asked quietly.

Mikan looked away, then nodded.

"Where do you come from? Your accent's really neat."

"Uhh…home…?"

Natsume was starting to find it easier to understand her accent, so he frowned at this. "I mean, like are you from a different country?"

Mikan shook her head, shrugging her shoulders. "I…I don't know why…"

Natsume didn't answer. He was gonna pound Ruka for not telling him anything though! This girl was interesting, and he was definitely going to find out what was going on.

The food was delicious, and it's even more delicious when you've been eating dollar store food for over a week. Mikan grinned at Yoichi's obvious delight, and she handed him the rest of her sandwich after he finished his own. Yoichi patted her hand, and immediately started demolishing what was left of Mikan's sandwich. Natsume took note of this, before paying the bill. They left the restaurant, walking along the road outside, until Mikan suddenly remembered her manners.

"Natsume…Thanks…"

Said boy just grunted, looking away so she wouldn't see his face.

"Whatever. Didn't I say it was just an apology? Don't think anything of it."

Mikan just smiled. She had seen him blush, and for some reason she found it sweet.

* * *

Once they reached the store, Natsume held the door open for Mikan again, and they walked in. As soon as they entered the store, Ruka waved them over to the counter frantically.

"Mikan! Someone was just in here, and they were asking for you!"

* * *

**Did you like it? Are you glad I introduced Hotaru and Natsume? Yeah... So yup, I'll do my best to update soon, to make up for this late chapter!  
Please please please leave a review, because they are yummy and I like to eat them! ...I don't know...**

**Okay, that's all for now! I'll see you all late, review and be patient, CYA!**


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